Echo-sounding device with arrested indicators



Sept 11, 1945- P. oRLlcH' E-rAL 2,384,766

ECHO-SOUNDING DEVICE WITH ARRSTED INDICATOR Filed July 19, 1939 s shets-sheet 2` F/y. 4

Sept 11, 1945A P. oRLlcH E-l-AL 2,384,766

l ECHO-SOUNING' DEVICE WITH ARRESTED INDICATOR Filed July 19, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Zz Venors PETER RLCHGTLJHANSMRTE Patented Sept-11, 1945 UNITED STATES PA EN ors-ica ECHO-SOUNDING DEVICE WITH ARRESTED INDICATORS Peter omen and Hans Hmz. mel', Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application July 19, 1939, Serial No. 285,310

In Germany July 26, 1938 3 claims. (ci. rrr-asc)5 ora glow cathode or of an illuminated slot, the v opening of which is controlled by mechanical means. The optical indicating meas, however, have the disadvantage that they fail, iffor some reason the echo does not arrive, so that the reading is thereby rendered difficult.

Furthermore, indicating devices for this purpose are known, which operate with an indicator.y

hand, which permit a stationary reading. In these devices a rotating magnet eld is used which is energized for a short time at the moment of the echo arriving and in the direction of which as magnetic hand adjusts itself. These devices, however, have the disadvantage which is inherent to 8.11 magnetic indicators, namely that they are subject to stray currents from outside and that errors are thereby introduced into the indication.

According to the presentinvention the aforementioned disadvantages are removed by using an indicating device which does not operate with a directly stationary indicator but by connecting the indicating device to echo-sounding devices of well-known type which permit only a momentary reading and which operate with a magnetic indicator. Such a devicecannot be used directly for a continuous indication, because it is necessary in these devices-to return the indicator every time to zero after a sounding has been made. Devices ci this character are constructed, for instance, ln such mannerthat between a stationary and a rotary electromagnet an armature'disc is disposed and mounted on a shaft which is axially movable and which is provided with an indicator hand. Thereby the disc is attracted by the rotary magnet at the moment when the sound is originally transmitted and attracted by the stationary magnet at the moment of the echo arrival.

According to the present invention a stationary indication is produced with an echo-sounding device of the above-described character by inter posing between the rotary mechanical element and the indicator an electrical angle transmission device, and by coupling with the rotary mechanical element an electric contact which actuates tbe electric angle transmission for a short time at the moment when the echo arrives. In this manner the visible indicator hand is completely separated functionally from the echo-sounding device proper and the indicating device can be suitably damped so that it will not changeits position in 4 the time between two successive distant controls.

The inventionl is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 representsv semi-diagrammatically one form in whichthe invention may be reduced to practice.

Figs. 2 and 3 represent wiring diagrams of two modied forms of the circuit, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents semi-diagrammatically a modication of the electromechanical arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 on a. reduced scale showing the complte circuit.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of the heart cam mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a diagram on a reduced scale of a part.

of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4 with the addition of a recording mechanism.

Fig. 8 represents in larger scale the face of the altitude or depth indicating instrument, and

Fig. 9 represents a block diagram of a com- Diete measuring arrangement illustrating some additional features of the invention.

Before referring in detail to the several modifications, it should be stated that the invention is useful not only in measuring depth of water by means of echo sounding, but also altitudes of aircraft or the like, in both cases -the ground being used for producing the echo. Therefore, when the term altitude is used in the following dscriptlon, it is meant to imply also depth of water, i. e. altitude of the craft above the bottom of the sea.

By way of illustration, the invention is shown in Fig. l applied to an apparatus of the kind disclosed in the patent to Settegast et al.. No. 2,032,893. In Fig. 1, a stationary annular electromagnet is shown at l and at 2 a similar annular magnet mounted on a shaft 3 so that it can be rotated in a plane in parallel to the plane in which the annular magnet l is located. Shaft 3 is continuously rotated by a source of power capable of rotating the shaft continuously at uni-v form speed, such as for instance an electric motor 3a. Between the two electromagnets l and 2 is disposed an armature disc G mounted on a shaft il which is longitudinally movable in its bearings t, 5. The end of shaft d has iixed to it a pointer il which travels lover a scale t2. A battery ill supplies current for operating the electromagnets. The stationary electromagnet l is connected by a wire i02 to a Wire H03 .leading from the negative end of the battery lil. The other 2 1 essayes end of the electromagnet I is connected by a wire |04 to a normally closed switch |05, thence through a Wire |06 to one contact of a normally closed switch D. The other contact of the switch D is connected by a wire |01 to a wire I 08 leading to a wire connected to the positive end of the battery I0. The two ends of the rotary electromagnet 2 are connected respectively to two slip rings ||0 and |II mounted on the shaft 3. A brush ||2 bearing on the slip ring IIO is connected by the wire |03 to the negative end of the battery I0. A brush I3 bearing on slip ring II I is connected by a wire ||4 to one contact of a switch II5. The other contact of the switch |I5 is connected by a wire IIB to a contact II1 of a relay switch 1, |5a normally held closed by a relay solenoid I5. The movable contact I5a is connected to the wire |08, thence to the positive end of the battery. The switch |05 is operated by a relay magnet T. One end of the relay magnet T is connected by a wire IIB and wire |09 to .the positive end of the battery I0. The other end of relay magnet T is connected by a wire II9 to one contact of a normally open switch A. The other contact of switch A is connected by wires |20, |2| and |03 to the negative end of the battery I0. The relay magnet T also operates a switch |22 controlling the circuit of a sound-emitter S operated by alternating current from a source |23. A sound receiver E is connected by a transformer |24 to an amplifying circuit including a vacuum tube V, a grid condenser |25 and a grid leak |26. The plate circuit of the vacuum tube V includes a battery |21, the relay electromagnet I5, and a holding switch |28. The switches A and D are operated by cams I 29 and |30 on a shaft I 3| driven through a gear |32 by the` motor 3a. -f

The parts so far described are all shown in the aforesaid Settegast et al. patent and operate in the following manner:

In the starting condition, the electromagnets and 2 are both excited but the armature disk 6 is attracted to the magnet I, a condition resulting from the preceding operation as will be described presently.

As the shaft I3| rotates, the cam |28 closes the switch A and energizes the relay T. This has the double eect of operating the sound-emitting device S and opening switch |05. The circuit of the holding magnet is thus broken, the magnet is deenergized, and the armature 6 jumps to the running magnet 2. Thus while the sound is travelling, the pointer 4| is being moved at a uni; form rate from its zero position, in which it was left by the preceding operation. When the echo isreceived by the receiver E, the vacuum tube valveV reduces the current in the circuit of relay I5 sufficiently to release the switches |5a and |28. The switch ||1 opens the circuit of running magnet 2, thus releasing the armature 6 which jumps back to the holding magnet I, the latter having been reenergized meanwhile by the closure of switch |05. The pointer 4| is thereby stopped in its definitive position corresponding to the time of travel of the sound.

After certain intermediate operations to be described presently, the armature S is picked up by the running magnet again and carried toward starting position. This requires the reenergization of running magnet 2 followed by the deenergization of holding magnet I. For the former purpose, a switch C is connected by wires |33 and |34 in parallel to the switch |28. The switch C is operated by a cam I 35 after the longest time of echo return for which the apparatus is designed. This restores current to the relay I5 and closes switch I5a, III, reenergizing running magnet 2, but thel armature disk 8 continues to be held by the stationary magnet I. This is fol-- position by a cam E0 operating switch IIS. This opens the circuit of running magnet 2 and the amature 6 jumps to the holding magnet I which has been reenergized by the closure of switch D. The cam E0 leaves the switch I I5 Just before the pointer 4I is stopped in starting position and the l running magnet 2 is thereby reenergized. 'I'he apparatus remains in this condition until the next sound is emitted.

The secondary winding of transformer |24 is short-circuited during a sumcient length of time following the emission of a sound by sound-emitter S to avoid operation of the receiver E by the sound travelling directly from the emitter S. For this purpose, two wires |36 and` |31 are con nected to a switch |38 closed by a cam B during a short time following the operation of the soundemitter.

All of the mechanism and operations described so far are disclosed in the aforesaid Settegast et al. patent. In accordance with the present invention, the definitive positions of the pointer 4| resulting from successive soundings are transmitted by angle-transmitting apparatus to an indicating device in a manner now to be described.

The indicating device comprises a deectable galvanometer coil I2 fixed upon an oscillatable arbor |2c bearing a pointer I3 which moves over a circular magnet I4, the face of which is graduated in a scale I1 corresponding to altitude or depth units. One lead |2a from the galvanometer coil I2 is connected by wire I to a stationary contact ring 8. Bearing on the contact ring 8 is a contact arm 1a iixed to and insulated from the shaft 4 and electrically connected by a wire 'Ib to a yielding contact arm 1,.which is also mounted ,in fixed position on the shaft 4 and insulated therefrom. Opposite the contact arm 1 is an annular resistance coil 0, which is stationary and is fed with current from the battery I0 by wires 9a and 9b. The other lead |2b of the galvanomg eter coil I2 is connected by a wire I2d to a stationary contact |42 which is engaged by the switch arm I 5a when the latter is released by relay magnet I5. The switch arm |5a is connected by wires |08 and |09 to the positive side of the battery I0. The magnet I4 is an electromagnet and is connected to the negative side of the batery by wires |40, |2| and |03, and the positive -side of the battery by wire |4I, switch II1, I5a,

and wires |08 and |09. Thus, the excitation of electromagnet I4 is dependent upon the switch arm ISabeing held by the relay I5, a condition which exists except during the time interval between the stopping of the pointer 4I in its definitive position and the reenergization of running magnet 2 in preparation for the return of the pointer 4| to starting position. 'I'he pointer` I3 is either of magnetic material or is provided with a small armature I6 located close to the magnet I4.

The above-described indicating mechanism operates in the following manner. During the time that the pointer 4| is travelling against the echo.

the electromagnet vI4 is energized and the pointer I3 ls-held in its previous setting. When the echo is received, the ,relay I drops the switch arm I 5a, breaking the circuit of electromagnet I4 and releasing the pointer I3. At the same time, the switch arm I5a comes into contact with the stationary contact |42 and closes the circuit of the galvanometer coil I2. The current flowing in the coil I2 is determined by the position of the contact arm 1 upon the rheostat 9. When the armature B jumps to the holding magnet I, the shaft 4 moves axially to the left and brings the arm 1 against the rheostat 9 at a point determined by the travel of the pointer 4I up to the time the echo was received. T he rheostat circuit will be recognized as a potentiometer connection, which varies the current in the coil I2 according to the point of contact of the arm 1 upon the rheostat 9. After the pointer I3 has assumed its new position correspondingto that of the pointer 4I, the relay I5 is reenergized by the operation of switch C, the circuit of electromagnet I4 being closed, and that of the coil I2 being opened. 'The pointer I3 is held against the scale I1 until released by the return of the next echo.

The sounding time-measuring device, as wellas the indication transmitting arrangement, may be replaced according to the invention also by other means. For instance, the circuit arrangement for transmitting the angular position of the contact arm 'I afterthe arrival of the echo may be arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2. In this figure, I8 represents the annular resistance such as 9 in Fig. 1, and I9 represents the equivalent of contact arm 1 of Fig. 1. 20 is a remote receiver having a galvanometer coil, such as I2 in Fig. 1, 2 I, 22 and 23 are fixed resistances, approximately of the order of the annular resistance I3, and 24 represents a source of current. If the transmitting system, shown in Fig.'2, is applied-to the apparatus of Fig. 1, the resistance 9 is replaced by resistance I8, battery I0 by battery 24, and galvanometer coil I2 by that of the remote indicator 20. Slight changes in the circuit connections of Fig. 1 have to be provided in order to properly connect the bridge resistances 2l, 22, and 23. This arrangement constitutes a Wheatstone bridge and has the advantage that the scale of the instrument may be divided linearly.

The arrangementhowever, may also be made as shown in Fig. A3,'in which the fixed resistances 2l and 22.are omitted and in which resistance 23 is formed as a second annular resistance simllar to I8 and is provided with a sliding contact 25. This sliding contact 25 is mechanically connected with the receiving instrument 26 in such manner that it follows up the motion of contact arm I9 until the current in the bridge branch I9, 26, 25 equals zero. Such an arrangement has the advantage that it is insensitive against voltage variations of source 24. Besides, it is possible in such a case to bring about the contact between arm 1 as in Fig. 1, or arm I9 as in Fig. 3, with its appertaining annular resistance, not mechanically by shifting the shaft as described with reference to Fig. 1, but magnetically by an annular magnet which attracts the contact arm 1, in this case made of magnetic material, thereby bringing about its contact with the annular re,

sistance 9.

Furthermore, in place of the remote vangle transmission means shown and described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, any other suitable angle transmission device may be used. Finally, in place of the arresting magnet I4 in. Fig. 1, any

other arresting device may be used which holds the indicator hand in its position during the time when no remote indication occurs.

It may be desirable at times to modify the arrangement according to the invention, and as described so far, in such manner that the electric contact at the annular resistance, such as 9 in Fig. 1, remainsv permanently at the point at which it has been brought by the arrival of a rst echo until a second echo has arrived, at which time it is moved to a new point according to the running time of 'the second echo. Thereby the differences in running time between the two echoes can be ascertained. 'I'he manner in which such an arrangement may be reduced to practice is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A large part of an apparatus shown in these tlgures is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, and the same reference numerals are applied to similar parts. One of the differences is that the pointer 4I is not mounted on the same shaft with the armature 6. The shaft 4 has xed on its leftend a heart cam 32 which stands opposite an armature disk 33 mounted on a shaft 40 which has the pointer 4I xed to it. The shafts 4 and 40 are coaxial. The disk 33 is surrounded by an annular resistance coil 34 upon which bears a contact roller 35 supported by an arm 35a upon the disk 33. An arm 36 is pivoted upon a pin 36a fixed to the disk 33 and carries at its end a roller 31 bearing upon the heart cam 32. A spring 36h stretched between'the arm 36 and a pin projecting rigidly from the disk 33 holds the arm 36 against the heart cam. It is well known that in a mechanism of this kind the roller 31 seeks the part of the heart cam 32 nearest the axis of rotation and in this Way the angular position of the disk 33 can be made to follow changes in the angular position of the heart cam 32. A stationary electromagnet 39 is positioned coaxially with and close to the disk 33. When the electromagnet 39 is excited, the armature disk is locked against it and cannot follow movements of the heart cam until the electromagnet is deenergized. The electromagnet 39 is ifunctionally'similar to the electromagnet I4 of the apparatus shown in Fig. I1, and

is connected in the circuit in the same' way by, vwires I40a and I4Ia.

The electrical connection between the contact roller 35 and the remote indicating device is similar to Fig. 1. A wire 'Ib connects the arm 35a to a contact arm 1a fixed to and insulated from the shaft 40. The arm 1a bears against a stationary annular contact ring 8 which is connected by a wire I I to an electrical measuring instrument 44. The other terminal of the electrical measuring instrument is connected by a wire 44a through a resistance43 to the positive side of the battery, I0. The two terminals of the battery I0 are connected by wires 9a and 9b to the two ends of resistance coil 34. The potentiometer circuit thus formed serves to adjust the instrument 44 to .the same angular position as the pointer 4I.

This apparatus operates in the following manner: The armature diskr33 is normally locked by the electromagnet 39. When the armature 6 is set in rotation by attraction to the running magnet 2, the heart cam 32 revolves with it, but the pivot 36a of the arm 36 remains stationary and .tffsgeipt of the echo simultaneously breaks the cir- 'cuit of running magnet 2 and of holding magnet r 39. The' armaturet jumps to the holding m'agnet and the heart cam 32 is held in the position it had reached at the instant the echo was received. The release of armature disk 33 by holding magnet, 39 allows the roller 31 to run into the low part of heart cam 32, thus setting the armature disk 33 and pointer 4I to the same angular position as the heart cam 32. The movement of the pointer 4| is followed by the pointer of the instrument 44. When the relay I5 is excited by closure of switch C, the holding magnet 33 is immediately excited and xes the position' of the pointers Iii and 44. In other respects this apparatus is the same as the one iirst described.

It is also possible, of course, instead of using a single heart-shaped cam and a single lever such as in Fig. 4, to use several of such cams and levers symmetrically-mounted on their respective supports in order to avoid a one-sided pressure against shaft 4i. Such a heart cam device is shown in Fig, 6. Upon the armature disk 33 are pivoted two arms 362 bearing rollers 36g/ at their ends which are drawn by springs 35:1: against two symmetrically arranged heart cams 35w. Furthermore, it may also be desirable some time, instead of using an electric indicating instrument 44, to use a recording instrument which may also be used together with the indicating instrument. Such an apparatus is shown in Fig. 7. An armature disk 33 with contact member 35 bears on annular resistance coil 34 whichA is supplied with current from a battery l through wires 9a and 9b. A contact ring 8 is connected by wire 44a through resistance 43 with an electrical indicating instrument 44. The other terminal of instrument 44 is connected by a wire |50 to one end of an electromagnet the other end of which is connected by a Wire |52 to the positive end of the battery I0. A record sheetR is mounted upon rollers |54 .and |55, the latter being driven through gears |56 and |51 by a motor |53. A stylus |59 bears upon the record sheet R and is pivotally mounted at 50. The opposite end of the stylus is Yconnected to an armature |6| operated by the electromagnet |5| against the action of a spring |62.

When practicing the invention the following should be taken into consideration. The indicating instrument is in general arranged so that the transmission of the original sound occurs when the indicating element travels through the zero point of the scale, which would mean zero depth or height as the case may be. However, the zero point, of the scale, which is disposed either ahead of or behind the indicator, does not always coincide with the zero point of the indicator or of the indicating instrument itself. This occurs when the transmitter and/or receiver is not located at the lowest point of the craft, the distance of which above ground is to be measured. This is the case in particular in echo-sounding devices which are arranged on aircraft. In this case, the transmitter as well as the receiver are frequently mounted in the wings of the craftfand are thereby removed a considerabie distance from the lowest point of the craft, for instance from either the landing wheels or the pontoons, In order to avoid confusion in the operators mind between the zero point of the lindicating instrument and the zero point of the scale. the indicator is made ineffective for indicating purposes within the sector of the indicating instrument between. they zero point of the instrument and the zero point of the scale. This may be attained, for instance, by covering the sector in question by means of a screen which is disposed in front of the indicator and preferably made a part of the casing of the instrument.

In Fig. 8 such an arrangement is shown. In this figure, 45 represents the indicating instrument of the sounding device provided with a scale 4S over which an indicator hand 41 travels. In the central part of the instrument a screen 43 is arranged which covers the scale 46 and hand 41 through a given angie. This sector covers an area which is located between the dash line 43 and the zero point of the scale. The indicating instrument is built so that when hand 41 or a traveling adjusting device for Vhand 41 passes through the point represented by dash line 49, the sound emission occurs so that thus line 49 represents the zero point oi. the indicating mechanism itself. f

It is further desirable to operate the entire echo-sounding system according to the invention by means of a controlled motor which is constructed as a single armature converter, preferably as a direct current to direct current converter. It is well known that in echo-sounding arrangements of this type, besides the receiver, frequently an amplifier is also required. This amplifier requires a constant operating voltage which in most cases is different from the available line or battery voltage. If now the driving motor of the sounding system is constructed as a converter of the type aforementioned, the different operating voltages can be derived from the generator portion of the converter. Thus, special anode batteries or current transformers may be eliminated.

Such a Aconverter may, of course, be used at the same time for any auxiliary devices which are connected with the indicating device and which likewise require constant operating voltages.

In Fig. 9, an echo-sounding arrangement in connection with a converter current supply is shown in the form of a block diagram, In this figure, represents the sound transmitter which is connected with the i'lxed electromagnet 5I of an echo-sounding device 52, for instance of the type shown in Fig. 4 and which is controlled by means of a signal controller 53. The echosounding device 52 is operated by way of a gear train 54 from a motor 55 which is constructed as a direct current to direct current single armature converter. The motor is maintained at constant speed by means of the speed regulator 55 which may be of any conventional construction known in the art. From this motor, which is supplied with current from the line 64, a generator line 51 extends to the amplier 58 which requires constant anode voltage. The necessary cathode heating current is supplied to the amplifier from the main line by way of supply line 53. The amplifier is connected by way of line with the soundd receiver 6|. The latter is connected by way of the amplifier and line 62 with the rotary electromagnet 63 of the echo-sounding device.

A particular advantage of the arrangement according to Fig. 9 resides in the fact that in this manner considerable space is saved which is particularly important in aircraft or in sounding devices mounted in submarines.

We claim:

1. The combination with an echo-sounding device having a rotatable measuring element, means for simultaneously emitting a sound and setting said measuring element in rotation at a deiinite speed, echo-controlled means for stopping the rotation of saidmeasuring element, and means operative after an interval following the stopping of said measuring element for -resetting the latter to a starting position; of remote indicating means including follower means controlled by said measuring element and 'tending to follow the movements thereof, means extending in axial alignment with respect to said follower means, said means adapted to hold, said follower means atleast approximately stationary while said measuring element is moving, and means for releasing said follower means from said holding means in the interval between the stopping and resetting of said measuring element, to allow said follower means to assume a position corresponding to that in which said measuring element has been stopped, a remote indicator and means whereby said indicator repeats the positions of said follower means.

2. In an echo-sounding device, a rotatable measuring element, means for simultaneously emitting a sound and setting said measuring elef ment in rotation at a definite speed, an annular resistance member, a contact member adapted to coact therewith, an armature mounted to rotate on an axis coaxial with said measuring element, one of said members being mounted on said armature andI the other being stationary, means coupling said armature and said measuring element so that the former tends to seek a definite relative position with respect to the latter, means for holding said armature at least approximately stationary while said measuring element is rotating, echo-responsive means forl stopping said measuring element and for releas- 'ing said armature momentarily to allow the latter to assume said denite position relative to the former, remote indicating means, and an operating circuit therefor including said contact and resistance members and a source of current.

3. In an echo-sounding device, measuring means comprising a constantly rotating driving electromagnet and a rotary measuring element coacting therewith, an annular resistance member, a contact member adapted to coact therewith, an armature element mounted to rotate on an axis coaxial with said measuring element, one of said members being mounted on said armature element, a holding electromagnet to hold said armature element stationary, heart cam coupling means interconnecting said armature element and said measuring element and comprising at least one heart cam on one of said elements and at least one spring iniluenced cam follower on the other of said elements, means for slmult taneously emitting avsound. and energizing both of said electromagnets, echo-responsive means for simultaneously rie-energizng said electromagnets, and for stopping said measuring element while said armature element, under the inuence of said heart cam coupling means, assumes a P0- sltion corresponding to said measuring element, remote indicating means, and an operating circuit therefor including said contact and resistance members and a source of current.

PETER ORLICH. HANS HARTZ. 

